Llewellyn Devitt 24 August at 12:28

Engine Failure after take off. Back in 1982 a friend invited us for Sunday lunch on a plot on the banks of the Vaal dam in Deneysville. a friend of mine and our wife's rented a 172 from Witbank Flying club ZS_ILI, we took off from Witbank, flew over Secunda and the Vaal dam, and landed in Dennysville.we had a enjoyable day and a lovely lunch. At 4:O clock we decided to go home. I had a gut feeling that something is not right but took off anyway , about 30 vt. above the ground I lost 60 % of engine power but still had runway beneath me and decided to put her down. Unfortunately we ran out of runway there wasn't enough. we hit some rocks and broke the nose wheel off. the plain then tipped over stood up on her nose for a split second, I thought we were going to fall back on her undercarriage. the next minute we went over onto her back. I remember telling the pax that they were upside down and had to hold onto the roof before loosing the safety belt, and then I forgot to do it and fell on my nut. the door was jammed , I couldn't open it, I gave it one kick off its hinges I don't know were the strength came from but I was out, Basil my friend crawled through the window till today I don't know how he got through that window because he is bigger than the window. they retrieved the plane and repair it, we actually flew it again The problem was an oil pipe knuckle that cracked and sprayed oil onto the magneto. About 10 years ago I opened the Sunday papers and saw ILI had another engine failure some were close to Johannesburg and the pilot was actually killed. things happens so quick sometimes you haven't got time to think, especially on take off.